Gordon Grdina's The Marrow — Ejdeha
Though this music harkens back to a different (but parallel) culture, my closest touchstone for this recording is John Zorn's klezmer jazz project Masada, with their fiercely modern take on traditional ideas. Indeed, the liner notes mention Zorn collaborators Bill Frisell and Joey Baron, so the connection is not far fetched. 'The Marrow' shares a bit of Zorn's aggression, and his penchant for running rapidly up and down hauntingly dissonant scales. While this music may be reservedly emotive, it is not sentimental, an expression of strength and stoic resolve, with a powerfully kinetic and motivational beat.
The drums are the most distinctively middle eastern sound, with a range of knocking, punchy timbres that pleasantly contrast the usual Western drumkit. The rhythms are repetitive, yet polymetrically accented and asymmetrical. Having a largely Western music background, I've only heard drumming like this in the music of the few musicians like Ravi Shankar who broke through to international audiences. I am thrilled to investigate this tradition furthur.
I am struck by the utter contrast between this album and Grdina's other project "Inroads", an album that had no Arabic flavor to speak of. Where that album was disjointed and avant garde to a greater degree, and classical in feel, the groove here is steady and palpable, and the circular figures have a bluesy wistfulness. The feeling is much clearer, a kind of nostalgic melancholy, a sort of acknowledgement of struggle. The music is more direct and stripped back. Typically, the melodic voices in the ensemble maintain a tight unison with each other.
The tone of each instrument is dry and stark; this is a fully acoustic recording, and feels like the desert from which these traditions emerged. The sharp twang of Grdina's oud is earnest and pained, mingling perfectly with the melodic embellishments of celloist Hank Roberts. The recording feels vivid, clear and immediate without any hint of artificial enhancement, for a very effective and transparent production.
This is rich and listenable recording which works on multiple levels, providing a great density of complex and expressive melodic work, as well as a steady yet unfamiliar rhythm. It's traditional music with the precision, reserved sophistication and ambition of jazz. I could play this recording on repeat all day, and never develop any fatigue at any of these pieces or sounds. Between the two Grdina projects I have listened to, it would be difficult to pick a favorite as each is so brilliantly distinct, and each serves its function.